Sailors sent home amid sex scandal

The Royal Australian Navy has launched an inquiry and sent a group of sailors home
after they allegedly challenged each other to have sex with as many female crewmates
as possible.
The sailors allegedly detailed their plot in a document called "The Ledger" where
dollar values were placed on each woman's head, during an overseas deployment in
May, the Seven Network reports.
Larger amounts were offered if the sailors could sleep with a female officer or a
lesbian and sailors challenged each other to have sex in various locations,
including on top of a pool table, the report said.
The arrangement was discovered while HMAS Success was visiting Singapore.
The captain ordered the sailors to immediately return home to Australia after they
were formally interviewed.
The Defence Department has launched a formal inquiry into the incident and confirmed
an unspecified number of sailors from the Success, one of the fleet's biggest ships,
returned to Australia in May.
"The matter concerning sailors who were returned to Australia from HMAS Success in
May 2009 remains under investigation, so the veracity of any allegations has yet to
be confirmed," Defence said in a statement to the Seven Network.
"The individuals were removed from the ship after an equity and diversity health
check, which led to a formal inquiry being initiated.
"During the equity and diversity health check a number of concerns were raised by
female crew members. These concerns are now subject to formal inquiry."
The statement said the navy demands a working environment "free from unacceptable
behaviour".
It warns all of its staff to "treat others fairly" and that any form of unacceptable
behaviour "will be dealt with".